Out of Nowhere
by Dazzling-Sachiko
Summary: 'The Lady Magnet', who's ironically remaining single, was set up in an arrange marriage by his parents. Once meeting his so-called fiancé, would love bloom or would hatred reign! Read if you want to find out…
1. Chapter 1: Backfired

**Out of Nowhere**

**Chapter Summary:** Athrun's face is scrunched in concentration but remained handsome nonetheless. What seems to be the problem? Read if you want to know _(Alternate Universe)_.

**Disclaimer: **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Author's Notes:** Oneshot, supposedly, but I decided against it. Everyone would most likely be out of character. You've been warned, guys. _*LOL*_ AsuCaga rocks!

**...**

* * *

Chapter 1: **Backfired**

* * *

**...**

The sun had risen up, its rays passing through the white billowy sky.

The floras are still dripping with morning dews that when sun rays hit it, it glistens.

Birds are chirping merrily as if singing their morning jingle.

It is a pleasant morning...

And supposedly, a peaceful one…

But here we are hearing a heated discussion between two people in a nearby garden… not just any garden but the Zala mansion's garden actually.

One is intensely stating his point, while the other is listening at the sidelines…

"Think. Think. Think. What could I possibly do to put a stop to their ridiculous idea…" he contemplated, sitting on a white steel chair, his legs crossed and his face scrunched up in concentration but still a face that could make any girls swoon despite his current facial expression.

He remained handsome nonetheless even though he's just wearing a plain white collared polo shirt with some undo buttons showing a bit of his chiseled chest and black pants with matching black leather shoes.

The butler, who is equally endowed with a good-looking face that you wouldn't even consider him as a butler because of his prince-like features, has been standing straight while watching him from a distance. He remained silent and waited for the young man to ask for his opinion… Or simply state his view when he feels like it.

* * *

A yawn escaped his mouth.

He then diverted his attention away from his blabbering young master. _'This should have been a beautiful morning, if only he didn't wake me up early. It's my day off for crying out loud!' _He sighed. He looked back at his young master and after seeing that he's still deep in thought, he once again diverted his attention, but now to gaze at the garden's beauty.

The garden is such an amazing site.

Surrounded with a golden steel fence, fully bloomed floras can be seen around and multicolored butterflies are flying from one flower to another. The gentle breeze carries a lovely scent, thanks to the newly bloomed floras. Four arches of flowery vines can be seen adjacent to the beautiful fountain in the heart of the garden. A swan lake with a small bridge in its middle can also be spotted nearby. His young master is sitting somewhere near the back glass door of the mansion, where white pieces of benches surrounding a cute little white table is located.

A beautiful site indeed!

If only…

"This is pointless!" he stood up from his seat and started walking to and fro.

The butler hastily turned his head back to the frustrated young man, _'Yeah. Glad you finally noticed…'_ he whispered under his breath, followed by a snicker, his young master clueless at his side comments.

"How can I even persuade them if they have already planned everything without informing me first?" the young master said to no one in particular, his voice rising a bit.

"_Tsktsk_…" the butler uttered, his head swaying from side to side.

The disturbed lad whipped his head to where the voice came from. Upon noticing his butler's presence behind him, he gave him a look of bewilderment… Unaware that he has been there with him the whole freaking time.

Kira ignored the look he's giving him and took some steps towards his master. He stopped a few meters away from him, folded his arms, and uttered, "Pardon me young master but admit it, it's partly your fault, you know…?" His eyes fixated onto his master.

The young man stared at him hard… as if he grew horns on the top of his head.

The butler smirked while swaying his head from side to side. "They got fed up… Whenever they inform you about things concerning such matters, you always ruin it. End up doing a victory dance while saying out loud that you have saved yourself from jeopardy," he continued, feeling sympathy for the young man's parents.

"Are you on my side or what!" he retorted, his face dangerously near the butler's face in a matter of seconds. How he managed to do such thing with such lightning speed remained unknown.

Nonetheless, his butler stood his ground and gave him a knowing look.

Intimidated by his calm yet strong demeanor, he broke his challenging gaze away from his butler's face and admitted, "You are right..." his face looking at the ground and his voice sounding a bit strained.

The handsome prince walked away.

His butler smiled triumphantly.

**...**

"But still…" the princely lad began.

The butler turned his head hastily, and looked at his young master with wide amethyst eyes.

"I can't believe why they have to be so stubborn!"

The butler knocked his forehead. _'I thought he already admitted his fault…? Now he's beginning all over again… __Argh!__ He's hopeless…' _He sighed then bowed his head in surrender.

The azure haired lad, unaware of his butler's malady, unrelentingly argues with himself while walking to and fro. It was rather a hopeless argument… "Don't I have a say in this at all?" the young man continued his retort, a scowl lingering on his face.

His butler raised his head again to look at his master.

"They should have at least asked for my opinion regarding this matter… Why decide for someone else's future…?" he continued.

The brunette muttered under his breath, "Retorting over and over again…? Doesn't that make you more like the stubborn one?" He snickered secretly.

Unfortunately the young man caught him snickering behind… _'What's so funny? I'm being serious in here, how dare he laugh at my current predicament? So much for being MY best friend…' He glared at him._

The butler stopped snickering upon receiving a death glare. One that will give you the impression that if looks could kill, you would have been dead by now… "Sorry…" the butler uttered in a sheepish manner.

The glare lingered for awhile before it finally subsided…

**...**

And so the young man continued, "I have no plans yet to get married. Father should know by now that I'm not interested. This has always been the issue between us. He always kept on bugging me to get a wife… As if he wanted to get rid of me as soon as possible…"

"Young master, don't think of it that way… Think positive. I'm sure they have a reason for doing this."

"I wanted to... And I even tried to… But my mind just can't seem to come up with a better reason why they would do this," he paused. "And I thought that it's already worse at that time, I realize just now that having my mother as his ally is far worse than I can ever imagine. So much for believing that mom would take my side if it comes to this…"

"You can't blame them," he paused. "You're already… what? 20 years old? And your father and mother aren't getting younger either, so you should understand that they are expecting grandchildren by now seeing that no one knows if they'll still be here when you finally planned to get married," the butler explained knowingly.

"Still it's not right to force me to marry someone I haven't even met," his voice dropping a bit, "It's like forcing me to commit suicide…"

"Well then, do you have any alternative solution, young master? Seeing that the marriage is actually _'planned out'_ and there's no way out of it, perhaps we could alter some conditions. Maybe a lady of your own choice, as to at least marry someone you actually know instead of a total stranger…"

"Hmm… I have considered that but the main problem remains the same, I still haven't found the right girl yet… And would you please stop calling me as 'young master'–"

"What about 'young sir'?" his butler suddenly intervened.

"That's the same! Are you intentionally irritating me, KIRA?" he glared.

He laughed uneasily, while taking little backward steps away from the fuming lad. "Sorry 'bout that… Just got carried away…" a nervous laugh escaped his mouth.

Athrun continued on giving him a death glare.

**...**

Standing in a reasonable distance away from the said lad, the brunette nonchalantly said, "Well what are you waiting for, Athrun? It's not as if your destined mate will fall out from the sky–"

_"Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh"_

Their talk ceased upon hearing a piercing shriek echoing out of nowhere…

"What was that?" Athrun said.

"I don't know…" Kira answered, his eyes roaming around the area. He looks around the vicinity to determine where that shriek has been coming from. And although it's a ridiculous thing to look up to the sky, it won't hurt to do so, so he look up and saw something…

Falling out from the sky is a mass of white unidentified thing, heading right unto the prince…

"Athrun! Above you!"

The azure haired lad looks up and before he could even react upon seeing that an unidentified object is falling straight towards him, he suddenly felt another weight pressing him to the ground.

Good thing, he didn't pass out!

The unidentified thing hurriedly moved away from him, right after the fall, sitting in a manner where she's hugging her legs and her face buried onto her knees to hide her face.

Kira seeing the scene before him, decided to help his best friend to get up since he's the one who needed more help than the unknown girl.

"Thanks, Kira…" he muttered, though still out of breath from the sudden impact. He didn't waste time and looked around right away.

Kira noting his young master's strange behavior, decided to help him, "Athrun… If you were looking for her… Well… She's just right there…" he said pointing behind him.

Athrun quickly turned around to confront the thing.

But when his eyes fell onto the _'thing'_, he dumbly muttered, "She's… a _girl_?"

"I referred to her as a _'she'_, didn't I…? It's not my fault you're so slow," Kira stated in _as-a-matter-of-fact_ tone, his eyebrow shut all the way up his forehead, his last statement, meant not to be heard by poor Athrun.

Athrun, bewildered upon his discovery, ignored Kira's statements and focused his attention to the young lady. He discretely runs his eyes over her petite form.

"Are you… Are you okay, my lady?" Athrun asked, offering his hand to help her up.

The said lady is clad in a white coat that obstructs everyone's eyes from seeing her face.

But as soon she looked up...

The white coat covering her head fell off, revealing a flawless face with her darkened eyes looking straight at him.

Emerald meets Amber.

It was as if time stopped…

And all that exist are only the two of them…

_Everything seems to be perfect…_

"Did it hurt?" Athrun ask all of a sudden.

_Everything…_

"Did what hurt?" the beautiful girl retort back, clearly no mood for a chat.

_Everything, I tell you…_

He ignored the sour look on her visage, and said "Falling out of heaven…" He smirked and waited for her response.

Silence reigned over the area…

And only the birds' chirping coming from the nearby tree can be heard…

She stared at him.

Stared long and hard…

But he received no response…

Except a humorless stare from her beautiful golden eyes.

Obviously, an absolute failure!

He was taken aback when the mysterious lady hurriedly stood up and walked away from him. "Hey, wait up! Don't go just yet…" He followed suit.

Unfortunately, he lost sight of the lady, and was left staring into space… His right hand was left hanging in mid air, yet to touch even the tip of her hair. He was lost… So lost within a world of his own…

**...**

But not for long because he was brought back from his reverie when he heard a boisterous laugh from behind…

The culprit…?

…is none other than his butler and best friend…

_Kira._

"What are you laughing at?"

"Sorry… Can't help it… You were so funny! _*laughs* _But I personally love those cheesy lines…" He snorted.

Athrun glared at him, but Kira ignored it and continued with what he's saying.

* * *

_"Did it hurt?"_ Kira said while imitating Athrun's gentle voice.

_"Did what hurt?"_ came Kira's imitation of the young lady's irritated voice.

_"Falling out of heaven…"_ he uttered, his eyes imitating that flirty look on Athrun's eyes awhile ago.

Followed by a roar of laughter…

* * *

"_Kira_." he muttered under his breath, his knuckles turning white.

"Oh, I'm not yet done … Athrun that was so cheesy…! I can't even imagine… you are capable of being a cheesy lad _(though he personally preferred referring to him as a fool…) _but unfortunately, it was a complete failure…" he said, followed by a hearty laugh.

"_Kira…_" he warned.

Kira pay no heed to the warning and continued, "It was a complete failure, I tell you! An epic one…!" Then he laughed his heart out as if there's no tomorrow.

"_KIRA… You're going down…!_" Athrun fed up with his idiotic friend, charge towards him.

Kira revert his look of complete happiness into that of horror, nervously looking at his advancing friend. "Oh come on…" An uneasy laugh escaped his mouth. "You know it was funny… So it's not entirely my fault… right? Athrun…?"

"Kira… Kira… Kira…" he said in a sinister way while shaking his head in a disapproving manner. "You know… I actually planned to thank you for helping me up…_But_…" he paused. "I change my mind… Since I realized you really love making fun of me… Why don't I have some fun for myself…?" A dangerous smirk made its way to his handsome face.

Kira step backwards away from him. "We're best friends, right? This was supposedly something you should just laugh at and let go… No violence involve…" he said while his hands are in front of him acting as his shield.

"I never planned this to happen… If only you have helped me caught up with her… You wouldn't be in this situation… But what did you do? You chose to watch from the sidelines! Now what? You are laughing at me, huh… _YAMATO_!" Athrun said while walking like _'a predator__ towards_ _its prey'_, poor Kira. "You brought this to yourself… I'm just doing you a favor since it's as if you missed having a taste of my fist…" he continued, his eyes having a dangerous glint on them.

'_Looks like he's serious now… I've got to get out of here or else… It'll surely be the end of my life…' _Kira grimaced. A nervous laugh escaped his mouth. "Athrun, my friend, calm down, will you…? I was just joking…" he uttered, completely uneasy of what Athrun will do this time.

* * *

As far as he can remember...

The last time he made fun of him… He ended up in a hospital for almost 2 weeks with some broken bones and a black eye as souvenirs...

He is the nicest best friend ever!

* * *

"Not a chance now, Yamato… You've had your fair share of laughter… Now, now, would you deprive me the privilege to have some fun…?" he asked obviously faking a gentle tone, standing dangerously near Kira this time.

Kira looked sideways to look for any escape route…

Even the slightest possibility of escaping the clutches of his evil friend would be great...

But unfortunately…

It's not his lucky day.

* * *

From a distance, a loud cry of pain can be heard…

Kisaka, the head butler of the Zala's estate, was one of those who have heard it.

"Poor young man…" he mumbled under his breath.

And then he called out one of the maids…

"Ms. Yako, call for an ambulance right away. We have an emergency…"

"Yes, Mr. Kisaka…"

**…**

* * *

**…**

**Author's Notes:**

This is made as a thank you gift for _Cagalli_Haruka_Zala__,_ _rizacaga__, __Maria-Reynne__, __empatheticsympatheticpathetic_, and _Latias_24_ thank you guys for leaving a review for _'At_ _Last'_.

As for my chapter fic, _'Music to My Ears' _please give me some time to think of how to build a foundation for the AsuCaga romance… But I'll be updating on Christmas break so watch out… _*LOL*_!

**...**

** Reviewers' Corner:**

To **Latias_24**, thank you so much for the very fruitful review. I'm glad that you thought of Kira that way… But look at where he ended up to… _*snickers*_ did he deserve it? I'll leave that up to you. About Athrun, yeah I agree, he's some sort of a cheesy fool or something… though his charms didn't actually work with the lady in white (you're right, it's Cagalli). Once again, I'm really sorry for the confusing change in POVs, I'm confused, myself… kidding! How did Cags fell out of the sky? Well, I'll be answering that question in the next chapter, I promise! You're welcome! _*hugs back*_ ^^

To **The_Blue_Mask-cara**, thank you for the honest review, it gave me the push to add some bits of 'action' in this fic _*laughs*. _I share the same opinion about the lousiness of its ending so I decide to edit that part. And you're wish is granted 'cause I'll be adding some chapters to it. Thank you so much! XD

Reviews are always loved.

**...**

_Mahal ko kayo!_

**_- chiko-chan -_**


	2. Chapter 2: Caught Red Handed?

**Out of Nowhere**

**Disclaimer: **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Author's Notes:** All characters are _definitely_ out of their original personalities, so don't sue me for the way I portrayed them to be. Peace guys! And one more thing, beware of my long notes at the end. I have no intention to annoy anyone with my lengthy notes so pardon me in advance. Sorry for the very late update. ^^

**...**

* * *

Chapter 2: **Caught Red-Handed?**

* * *

**...**

The sun is setting down…

A black-like blanket spreads fast throughout the sky like a contagious disease…

It's night time.

And only the moon and stars illuminates everything around…

The beautiful moon that was hidden the other night is now fully visible.

Millions of stars are sprinkled all over the wide sky.

And a couple of shadows can be seen loitering around…

Sneaking into a white mansion in the middle of the night…

**...**

A large mahogany door creaked open…

And an azure-haired lad entered, followed by a limping brunette, and a black-grayish haired man…

Two of them are tiptoeing carefully while helping the limping one in making their way to the grand white staircase in the middle. Throughout all this time, they are trying so hard not to make any noise…

They were quite successful.

Until…

"_Tsktsktsk_…" two synchronized voices uttered.

The three froze on their tracks. Their feet haven't even touch the stairs, and now what…?

They've been discovered!

'_Oh no! Who could that be?' _the blueberry-head thought to himself.

'_We're doomed! Can this day be more depressing?'_ the brunette thought, while trying so hard not to wobble or else he'll end up far worse than his current situation.

The black-grayish haired man bowed his head in shame. _'Argh! Brace yourself for an early retirement…'_ He sighed.

'_Oh! Lady Luck, what have we done to deserve this…'_ the three groaned in frustration.

They slowly turn their heads to where the sounds are coming from.

"_Tsktsktsk…_"

"Where have you been, young men… and you too, Mr. 'Head Butler'…"

Right there on the top of the staircase, two people are watching them. One is having her arms crossed in a demanding manner while tapping her shoe simultaneously on the flooring and the other one is leaning languidly on the banister of the stairs. Both are looking at them with a _'you-have-some-explaining-to-do' _look.

Athrun, upon recognizing the two, blurted out, "Mother…? Father…?" He laughed uneasily. "It's late… We'll explain tomorrow… We're going to our rooms now… good night…" He smiled gingerly towards his parents and then nods his head to Kisaka as a way of saying, _"See you tomorrow, sir. Good luck!"_

Kisaka nods back, as if answering him, _'Thanks! I needed that, __although I doubt you'll still see me here tomorrow…'_

"Come on, Kira, let's go!" Athrun whispered, placing one of his friend's arms over his shoulder to help him walk.

But his parents intercede…

"Not so fast young men… Stay there." Lenore Zala said, smiling sweetly, pointing at the couch on the lounge area, found at the right side of the grand staircase.

The couple began descending down the flight of stairs…

Patrick Zala, upon noticing that the Head Butler remained standing on the foot of the stairs with his head bowed, said, "You too, Mr. Kisaka… Stay with them. We'll _all_ have a talk..."

Lenore gave her husband a smile and then continued going down the stairs, her attention brought back to the 'red-handed' guys.

**...**

The long wait _(pertaining to the couples' time-consuming manner of descending the stairs)_ is a moment of agony for the three. They have no idea what will happen to them after this…

Athrun, whether he'll be grounded or not for going out without informing anyone in the household…

Kisaka, whether he'll be fired or not in being such a scatterbrained fool for forgetting to inform the head maid about the ruckus earlier that morning…

And Kira, whether he'll be kicked out of the mansion or not for doing a poor job as Athrun's personal butler…

He can't help but be depress.

But on a second thought…

Going away seemed nice. The idea of it oddly brought a genuine smile to his face. At least, unlike Kisaka, he'll be bringing along with him some mementos that will remind him of his stay over the Zalas.

A fruitful stay that granted him lots of _charming_ memories ranging from… Constant hospital trips, to the extent that his records had been placed separately because his files alone can occupy a whole rack… Bruises all over his body… Black eye, sometimes on both, which made him looked like a raccoon… Crutches that took him for awhile before he mastered using it… And a bloody nose earned from a strong punch straight to his face…

Yeah! Those mind blowing memories that _almost_ took his breath away _(literally)_ a dozen of times…

He'll be going away, alright!

With a genuine smile etched on his face, showing how deeply grateful he is that finally he'll be away from his _brutal best friend…_

**...**

The thought of it sounds appealing!

But unfortunately, Kira has a peculiar way of thinking…

He'd rather be beaten to a pulp than be away from his best friend. Heck! He'll even take a bullet that is supposedly for Athrun just to save him. It's without a doubt that he'll be missing those strong punches if he goes away…

**...**

Upon reaching the end of the stairs and making their way to the lounge area, Patrick right away motioned for them to take their seats.

And when they finally settled their butts on the couch, they didn't waste time and bombarded the poor guys with questions…

"Where have you been? You didn't even notify us that you were going somewhere! We've been worried sick looking for your whereabouts? We thought you fled from us since you hated the 'arrange marriage' that we're insisting to you… But we disregard that fact since, there's no way you'll runaway with 'Mr. Kisaka' tagging along. Of course, Kira's presence is understandable because he's your best friend but Mr. Kisaka's? It's too absurd to think that you'll need a butler or any other possible reason why you'll bring him along–" Mrs. Zala ranted on, her eyes focused only on her son.

If only her husband didn't intervened…

"And you're mother had gone nutssearching for you…" Mr. Zala commented, trying to control himself from laughing some more.

Lenore gave her husband _the glare_.

'_Aww man! Tsk… when I'm nearly having my fun, why does my wife have to use those glares to me?' _An exasperated sigh escaped Patrick's his face reverted back to its somewhat serious-lazy look, afraid to have his precious privilege be denied to him.

Lenore smiled triumphantly, 'HAH! I knew _that _would work…!'

**...**

While the two are busy having their '_silent talk'_, the three guys are having their own conversation…

"Hey, Athrun, is it just me or your Mother and Father looked really weird?" he whispered, giving Athrun a perplexed look.

Athrun looks over his parents to observe their behavior. "Huh? I don't see anything wrong? They're practically normal to me…" he whispered back.

"Can't you see? Their having that _'silent talk'_ again! Whenever I see them doing that, I can't help but have goose bumps all over me..." Kira said, hugging himself as if a chill run up his spine.

"What's wrong with that?" Athrun gave him a baffled look. "It's their way of showing intimacies to each other so we can't do anything about it…" he shrugged, an unfazed expression written on his face.

"But… Is it even possible to communicate with someone silently?"

"Of course… It's just like that of a special bond between twins…" he replied growing a bit irritated with Kira's unrelenting questions.

"You mean, like that word with a _–kinesis_ at the end? What's that word again? Telekinesis? Psycho kinesis?"

Athrun snickered. _'You're more of a psycho if you ask me…' _Athrun thought, looking at him as he ranted on and on.

"Or could it be ending in _–pathy_ instead? Telepathy maybe…? Argh! I give up!" he said while dramatically pulling his hair out.

"Yeah! You better be or else you'll end up with a busted head!" Athrun butted in, a smirk making its way to his lips.

"What was that?"

"Huh? What was what?" Athrun said, feigning that he just said something.

Kira scratched his head and muttered, "Oh… I thought I heard something… Sorry."

But in the back of his mind…

'_I'm pretty sure I've heard Athrun's response about… about… Right! A busted… a busted something… I don't know… But whatever it is, I'm pretty sure it's something nasty...'_

**********...**  


"Looks like you're still out of your wits, you should have stayed in the hospital tonight…" Athrun said, a look of concern written all over his face, though a small grin is hidden under that pretense, 'Revenge is sweet my dear friend…'

"Well… I'm not feeling over-all well but I can manage. Besides, I think I don't need to go back in there, and hopefully, for the rest of my life…" Kira said with a grim face. _'Argh! Being there with them gives me goose bumps,' _he shivered at the thought.

'_This is interesting!'_ Athrun thought upon noticing his behavior. "Why…? What's wrong in staying in a hospital? It's not like there's a lone ghost or something loitering around once the clock strikes twelve, right?" His arms folded together, and his head cocked slightly to one side.

He waived vaguely with a hand, "You have no idea how horrible it was …"

"Come on, try me… I think I can handle it. And besides, what's there to be afraid of? You do know that ghost don't scare me," he reminded Kira.

"_Tch!" _he shrugged, _'Cocky much…?'_ He sighed, and then continued._ "_I'm not talking about ghosts or any other paranormal occurrences! It's far worse than that…"

"Much better then… Come on, tell me..." Athrun coaxed.

He furrowed his brow. "Are you sure you want to hear it?"

"Of course, I'm dying out of curiosity, so spill the beans…" Athrun said.

"Are you really sure…?" he asked, his arms folded while stroking his imaginary beard. "There's no turning back, you know…"

Athrun, losing his cool, suddenly blurted out, "Quit asking me that or else I'll drag your foot, with your face on the floor, all the way back to your beloved hospital bed." Athrun said an evil smirk etched on his face.

Kira shivered. "No, thanks, I have had enough broken bones and blood loss for the day…"Kira reminded him.

Athrun remorsefully looked down and muttered an audible response, "I'm sorry…"

"It's okay. Besides, it's partly my fault to begin with and I don't regret making fun of you… err…" he laughed nervously. "I mean, it's only fair…" Kira turned to look at him.

"I knew you'll see it my way… Thanks Kira!" he gave him a brotherly hug.

Kira sweat-dropped and muttered under his breath,_ 'Phew! Thank heavens, he didn't hear...'_

Athrun pulled back and for the first time, he stared at his friend's eyes… Amethyst eyes.

Kira stared back. Emerald eyes looking at him…

Looking within each other's eyes, they can feel the special bond between them… A bond surpassing that of brothers and sisters, of best friends, of husbands and wives, and even of lovers…

Their faces a millimeter away from each other.

A single move would seal their fate.

Just a single move…

Almost there…

Almost…

And…

They turned their heads away and awkward silence envelope the two…

'_Gross! I almost kissed my best friend! What more, he's a guy for goodness sake!' _Athrun thought, wanting to beat himself to a pulp.

'_Yuck! What's wrong with you, Yamato! You almost lock your lips with your best friend! Are you nuts? Or are you simply a homo!'_ Kira thought, suddenly wanting to smack his head on a wall.

Athrun recovered first. "Sorry 'bout that…"

"Yeah, I'm sorry as well! Let's forget that ever happened," Kira answered with an awkward smile, offering his hand for a handshake.

"Deal!" Athrun said, taking his hand to seal the deal. "Hey, Kira! Care to tell me now?"

"Oh! I almost forgot… Are you–" he begun.

But Athrun cut him off. "_Shhh!_ Don't ask me that again or else I'll definitely drag you right now…!"

"Ok… Ok… Sheesh such a hot-headed lad…" he muttered.

"Are you saying something, Yamato?" Athrun asked threateningly.

"Me? Oh nah… I was just checking if my voice is pitchy or not… You know, need to check it before I go on with the story…" he gave him an awkward laugh.

Athrun nods at him, his eyes still holding that inquisitive look. _'I'll be watching your every move, Yamato…' _

"So here goes nothing…"

**...**

And Kira narrated his horrible experiences in the hospital…

Girls, be it a nurse, a patient or just some visitors passing by, came rushing to his room to get a picture taken with him...

Whenever he wakes up, there would always be a couple or two young nurses standing on both sides of his bed, watching him sleep with those creepy smiles plastered onto their faces… Shivers crawls up his spine. Talk about creepiness, this nurses sure got it! He sometimes wonders whether those nurses are psycho or something...

Whenever he had fractures and such that required him to stay, and Athrun, being the _'good friend'_ he is would be leaving him alone at night to go home and fetch some things, without even bothering to ask someone to replace him for the mean time… _(No wonder Kira loves irritating him though he's the one who suffers in the end...)_ He had no choice but to ask for help.

One particular instance is when he was sent there in a very vulnerable state _(broken bones all over his body)_ that he had to stay for almost five weeks…

Athrun left earlier that day _(it's still afternoon when he left)_ to check on some important matters because, at that time, he was assigned to throw a ball for the upcoming Halloween. And as expected, Kira was left all alone, most likely celebrating Halloween in the hospital. Seeing that Athrun wasn't there to feed him, he asked a certain nurse by the name of Ms. Ayukawa, who had been taking care of him every night shift, to feed him instead…

Ms. Ayukawa, the gentle and lovely nurse, is a medium built young lady with a pale pink hair and brown ashen eyes. A lady who had the right curves in all the right places. The said nurse was unlike other nurses who had been crowding all over him to get a picture or an autograph as if he's a celebrity of some sort. Ms. A, as Kira fondly call her, had been the only 'normal' girl amidst all the craziness and creepiness reigning over the hospital grounds…

But…

He's in for a surprise when he found out that the prim and proper nurse he was fond of was actually hiding some nasty secret…

The same reason why he only sees her at night…

He did not bother asking her because he thought she's a night shift nurse.

Why her skin always feels quite cold for some reason whenever her skin collides with his…

He shrugged that fact since he thought it's the air conditioners fault.

But actually…

The main reason is…

She has been dead for almost a year.

* * *

Upon the end of his story, Kira received an odd response from Athrun. Instead of an _'Im-sorry-Kira-it's-all-my-fault'_ response, a boisterous laugh was given to him._ "_I thought… There's no… Paranormal occurrences involve…" he said in between laughs.

"Supposedly there's none… But I didn't know that she's a ghost until recently, you know…"

Athrun laughed some more before patting his friend's shoulder. "I never knew that my best friend had been in-love with a ghost…"

Kira blushed. "No… It's not like that…"

* * *

Despite the on-going talk between the two, Patrick and Lenore had been utterly clueless of it. Even Kisaka hasn't been aware of anything…

Wondering where he is…? Or do you already doubt his presence…?

Well, worry not, because Kisaka is still there, seated at the farthest corner, caught up in his own world of internal debates, contemplating on what he'll be doing in his retirement days.

* * *

After series of disturbances to both parties, their talk has been finally continued.

"So… As I was saying, where have you been…? Huh Athrun…?" Lenore said while looking over at Athrun, then at Kira. "Kira…? _Kiiira! Ohh…! Oh my!_ What happened to you, dear…?" she uttered going over to Kira, then knelt before him to check his condition.

"Don't tell me, you didn't notice that awhile ago…?" Patrick butted in.

He received a glare.

_'Phew! Thank God, it's not 'the glare' this time…' _Patrick wiped away his non-existent sweat. "Right, what happened to you, son…? _(Athrun's parents are fond of Kira that they treat him as their own son)_" He also made his way to where Kira is sitting then stayed behind Lenore.

"Uhm… I'm okay, Sir Patrick, Lady Lenore, I just slipped on the stairs earlier this morning…"Kira answered followed by a nervous laugh, afraid that the couple would see through his lie.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Patrick asked while bending slightly to touch his wife's shoulders, his eyes directed to Kira.

"I'm fine, Sir. Don't worry…" He sweat-dropped, _'Phew! Thank God, they didn't question me about it…'_

"I mean, we could send you back to the hospital if you aren't feeling well…" Lenore suggested.

Kira turned pasty white.

Athrun, seeing Kira's reaction, answered for him instead. "Mother, I think Kira needs to rest now… And no, he doesn't need to go back to the hospital since we just came there…"

"Oh… So that's where you came from… I think we have some mistakes, Lenore…" Patrick looked at his wife.

"We're sorry for jumping into conclusion. Now I see Mr. Kisaka helped you out, right?"

"Yes, Mother, he's been the one who carried him to the ambulance, actually."

"Oh! That's good then," she paused. "I think you better bring Kira to his quarters since he looked really pale to me… Let's call it a night."

"Thank you, Mother, Father! We're going now… See you tomorrow!" Athrun helped Kira to stand up, assisted by Kisaka. Then they made their way to the flight of stairs.

But before they were out of sight, Lenore called out, "Oh, Mr. Kisaka!"

They stopped on their tracks. Kisaka whipped his head back downstairs and said, "Yes, Lady Zala…"

"Next time don't forget to call anyone in the household…That's a sign of old age you know!" And for the first time, the prim Lady Lenore smirked.

Kisaka turned bright red obviously guilty of being forgetful…

**...**

* * *

**…**

**Author's Notes: **

**1st**, I just want to ask you guys, do you want it to be a _'fantasy-themed_' or a _'supernatural'_ one instead? I can't make up my mind, lots of ideas are swirling in my head but I can't put everything together because it will be a disaster… So please kindly help me decide…

**2nd**, about Patrick's unusual behavior, sorry, I just need to portray him as some sort of an understanding and a playful father unlike the original strict one. About Kisaka, I'm not familiar with his looks so in terms of his hair color, I just guess it. In terms of Lenore, since the scene calls for a worried sick mom, I quite manipulated her personality but eventually she would revert back to her sweet-loving nature. ^^

**3rd**, I have promised in the previous note that I'll be including the reason why Cags had been falling out from the sky, right? _(to __**Latias_24**__)_ I beg your pardon _*puppy-dog eyes*_ in breaking that promise since Cags haven't even been mentioned in this chapter. Please don't hate me…

**...**

**Reviewer Corner:**

To my reviewers, I won't be including my response at the end of the chapters, but I'll be mentioning your names and sending you a personal message instead… _(I'm sorry. I just need to cut down my notes since it's too long…) _In exception to the rule, I'll be posting my response only those who don't have a profile here.

To **star**,I'm glad you're having fun, just as well as I amin reading your reviews_*smiling like an idiot (ooh I'm beginning to be creepy just like those nurses)*. _Yeah, it would be lacking if I end it up like that so, just like what the others requested, it has been turned to a chapter fic, although I plan to make it short.

To **kaede**, thank you for the enthusiastic review _*hugs*_, don't worry, here's chapter 2 ready for you, guys. I hope I didn't disappoint you with it… And thank you for the compliment. I'll try to keep up with your expectations. ^^

To the anonymous reviewer, thanks for informing me about my mistake, I'm really sorry about that. I edited it right after I read your review.

To the other reviewers namely: **The_Blue_Mask-cara**, **Latias_24** _(I have included my response to the two of you in chapter 1)_, **Jodeist**, **mrs_zala**, **Cagalli_Haruka_Zala** and **emphateticsympatheticpathetic** and to the other readers out there, thank you, guys!

**…**

_Mahal ko kayo!_

**- chiko-chan -**


	3. Chapter 3: My Angel?

**Out of Nowhere**

**Disclaimer: **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Author's Notes:** Once again, I'm very, very sorry for the late update. Hope you're still reading my poorly written fic. _(Yeah! I'm aware that I'm still an amateur and so my writing style isn't polish yet. ^^)_Here's chapter 3. Don't worry, Cagalli is here. Read and Review. ^^

**Setting:** Modern set-up where royalties are still recognized. Though calling them as kings, queens, princes and princesses aren't prominent this time.

**...**

* * *

Chapter 3: **My Angel?**

* * *

**...**

A few weeks after that incident, a lot of things had taken place…

Gone is the horrible black discoloration on Kira's left eye, gone are the purple bruises coloring his body, and even the crutches are gone. His once badly fractured body had been thoroughly healed, turning back to its natural form, the ever lean yet muscular healthy one.

While he had gone through good changes, Athrun, on the other hand, wasn't doing any good. His mind relentlessly plagued with the thoughts of the odd but undeniably one attractive lady. His butler would often catch him spacing out, looking at a faraway distance, his mind elsewhere.

More often than not, he would find himself thinking about the girl who mysteriously fell from the sky…

The same blonde head with a pair of fiery golden-amber eyes…

The nameless angel who had unintentionally tweaked his interest…

With just one meeting, his eyes had already been captured, how would he be able to look at anyone else aside from her then?

Don't take it as if he's already in-love, he's still in denial. He remained stubborn and denied such obnoxious idea. He believed that his current feelings for her are simply some fleeting attraction, a crush of some sort, or puppy love maybe. But despite his outright repulse, it's unquestionable that the blonde head had left a deep mark both onto his mind and heart.

He's been left staring into space every night falls, the thoughts about the said lady swirling in his head, making him unable to catch any sleep at all. But nonetheless, it's remarkable that he remained effortlessly so good-looking, so strikingly handsome, and so… deliciously palatable _*cough cough*_ I mean, so utterly attractive…

Although he kept on denying his feelings for the blonde, there's one thing that he can't deny…

The possibility that she could be his redeemer…

An angel sent from above who could save him from his marrying predicament…

His angel.

**…**

As light made its way to the thick billows of clouds, the sun emerges triumphantly. It broke into a wide smile, sending sunrays all over the place, signaling the born of a new day, a new beginning, a new hope…

_*knock knock*_

No response came from the other side.

_*knock knock* _

Still no response came.

Quite growing irritated, he knocked once more, with more force compared to the first two ones.

_*KNOCK KNOCK*_

Still nothing came.

And without thinking twice, he barged into his young master's room and tried his best to wake him up. "Hey, Athrun! Get up, you lazy ass!" he said, his voice laced with irritation while shaking him up.

But it was hopeless...

So he went straight to the shower room, fetched a pail of menacingly cold water, went back in and poured a generous amount of it right onto his face, effectively sending him into hysterics, repeatedly uttering, "I'm drowning! I'm drowning!" while waving his arms in the air, in a manner as if he had just reemerged from under a deep sea.

The brunette was watching him on the sidelines, his irritated look gone and is now laughing his head out like a total idiot. He can never get tired of doing the same thing every morning to his poor best friend. _'He deserved it…'_ the thought that will always be lingering on the back of his mind complete with an evil laugh and all.

That same scene goes on for about some time before the blue-haired lad finally snapped out of it, blinked once… twice… and thrice… then broke into a chasing-spree to subjugate his idiotic friend.

And as always, Kira end up with, luckily, no broken bones nor bruises this time but a bloody nose instead… A minor injury compared to the usual.

If it's a way of showing how much they truly love each other's company, I wouldn't want to be in Kira's shoes that's for sure.

**…**

Athrun asked Kira to take a seat.

The brown-haired butler chose to settle on one of the bedside seats.

Upon noticing his choice, the blue-haired guy shrugged his shoulders and said, "Suit yourself…"

He then pressed a button on the wall beside his bed.

_*click* _

A click was heard which was followed by an utterance. "Ms. Miho, could you please bring some ice to my room right away? Thank you…"

_*click*_

Another click was heard before he made his way to his closet to get a piece of towel.

Right after that, he walked back towards his bed and dumped himself onto it facing Kira, he asked, "Aren't you tired with this scenario…?"

Kira, sitting comfortably on his seat, nonchalantly answered, "It's my job."

Athrun looked at him, totally lost. "WHAT! You consider pestering me as a job…?"

Kira smiled. "You got it all wrong, my friend_… _Isn't it, my job is to wake you up…?" he paused for awhile. "But… pestering you seem a worthwhile _work_ as well… so if you really insist, then I'll gladly comply," he answered coolly, an evil smirk present on his face.

Athrun shivered. "No! Just stick to your work. And when I say work, don't misunderstand, I'm pertaining to waking me up and being my butler, clear?

"More of a personal maid, if you ask me…" Kira muttered to himself.

"Oh and next time… could you at least try to wake me up in a _'proper'_ manner…?"

"You're no fun, young master!" he whined. "I don't have any other choice aside from that. And besides… it's hilarious!" He snickered.

"Kira… You're–"

_*knock knock*_

The brunette would have had received a black eye if not for the knocking person outside, so the blueberry head ignored his last statement and motioned for him to stay put. While he made his way to the door, opened it, and thanked the maid. He then proceeded to the shower room with a towel and a bag of ice in his hands.

The sound of flowing water can be heard over the shower room…

After some time, Athrun's voice resounded over the shower room. "What do you mean with, 'you don't have any other choice?' You could have tapped my shoulders instead of doing some stunt like that," he said while soaking the face towel in a basin of cold water.

Kira, over hearing his friend, answered him, "Well, simply put, it's the best choice I have... And besides it's effective!"

"_HAH!_ It's effective my ass…" Athrun muttered to himself, a frown currently visible on his pretty face but he wiped that scowl off of his visage and made his way out. He emerged from his bathroom's door with a damp towel in hand, his face holding a neutral façade, not thoroughly happy or sad. "That's the best choice you have, huh?" he stated, his eyebrow making its way up to his forehead.

He received a nod.

Letting go of their nonsensical topic, he then gave Kira the damp towel.

While the brunette is busy wiping his bloody nose, Athrun looked over his clock placed on top of the bedside table at the other side of his bed and noted that he woke him up earlier than the usual. "By the way, why'd you have to wake me up this early…? Is something–"

_*THUMP!*_

He whipped his head hastily to where he heard a loud thump. "What the…" he said, a surprise look written on his face. "What are you doing there?" he said looking across his bed to a face-flat Kira lying on the floor.

It seems that Kira caught his foot in a carpet made of wool while making his way to Athrun's closet. But he didn't remain in that position for long for he stood up as if nothing happened.

Hurried footsteps reverberated inside the room…

Upon receiving no response, Athrun have nothing else to do but observe his friend's behavior and while at it, he made his way towards a nearby phone just in case his friend totally lose it and turn into a psycho.

By this time Kira had already made his way to his young master's closet looking for a bathroom towel while frantically saying, "Oh men, I'll be in trouble! I almost forgot!"

Athrun remained silent, listening to what his friend is blabbering about.

After getting a towel and some bathroom necessities, he went to where the azure-haired lad is standing and dragged him near the shower room's door. He then gave him some serious directions. "Athrun, take your shower then dress properly. Your parents are waiting for you… I'll explain on the way downstairs. Go!" Kira said shoving Athrun into the bathroom.

"Hold on…" he said, holding onto the door frame, "Does this have anything to do with my fiancé?"

"No, I assure you. So go!"

"Wait! Wait! Are you really sure!"

A throbbing nerve visible on his forehead, and an annoyed smile written on his face, he said, "I am! So quit asking me and just go take your shower, moron!"

Athrun have no choice but to do as his butler told him. "Ok. Ok. I'll meet you by the stairs…"

**…**

After a couple of minutes…

He emerged from the bathroom door with a towel secured around his waist. His midnight blue hair tousled in different directions but in a cool, breathtaking way. Droplets of water are dripping down from his hair onto his chiseled chest in a very sexy manner, which are further dripping down to his abdomen, to his sexy waist, then to his sturdy lean legs, until it reaches his feet and fall onto the floor. He looked so temptingly… so irresistibly _hot_!

He made his way to his bed where set of clothes are meticulously chosen and prepared by none other than his butler _slash _best friend_ slash _personal maid.

"Hmmm…"

Among the set of attires on it, he chose to wear an amethyst-colored long sleeved collared shirt where he left two of its buttons unfastened, together with black pants and matching black loafers. He then fixed his azure-colored hair in an attractive disheveled way that gave him the look of both coolness and hotness rolled into one.

With one last look on his total appearance, he sprayed a generous amount of body spray onto his body.

Then he grabbed a lone black velvety blazer hanging on the bedside chair and wore it before he left with Kira who's been waiting for him along the balustrade of the stairs.

**…**

They made their way down the flight of stairs…

"Looking good… I never knew you have some fashion sense in you, young master," Kira said in quite a teasing tone, his strides matching that of Athrun's.

"Oh shut up! You're the one who prepared it… I just barely do my thing _(pertaining to selecting one from the set of garments lined up on his bed)_. And quit teasing me, I'm in no mood for such. Tell me, what is this all about…?" Athrun said, demanding an answer.

Kira smiled, appearing as if he's completely confident of his answer. "Well… You see, I don't have any idea at all."

With Athrun's jaw dropping, he stopped on his tracks. Kira followed as well.

He can't believe his ears. Facing him this time, he said, "Am I hearing things or what? Will you say that again…?" he asked, trying to convince himself that Kira is just teasing him, that he'll be giving him a friendly slap on the back while saying, _"I got you, men! I got you!"_

"I don't know…"

"Oh come on, Kira! Let's not play around, shall we? I want to hear the truth," he offered with a smile.

Kira shamefully muttered, "Well, to tell you the truth… You're actually… attending a meeting… a meeting with your fiancé…" followed by a small "I'm sorry…" his face looking down not meeting his best friend's daunting gaze.

Athrun took hold of both Kira's shoulders and shook him quite fiercely. "Then what did you promise me back in there?" he retorted, his face holding a daunting look.

"…"

"Say something… Come on," he shook him once more.

"…"

Receiving no response, Athrun let him go and continue walking down the stairs with Kira following behind…

With the knowledge that the brunette is trailing behind, he retorted some more, "I trusted you so much… But what did you do with my trust… huh? What did you do…?" he said without looking at Kira, his pace going faster, probably to get away from him as fast as he could.

Only a couple of three steps remaining before he finally reach the ground floor…

"I was… I was just doing my job. I didn't want to lie to you but I have to…" Kira said helplessly.

By this time, Athrun had reached the end of the stairs and was looking at Kira who's still three steps away from him. "Why?"

"Because…" Kira took three more steps. "Because… I…" he said quivering. And finally he made it onto the ground floor, a few centimeters away from his best friend.

Athrun repeated his unanswered question, "Why…?" he said in a gloomy voice.

"Why…"

"Why…?"

But not for long because his once gloomy and resigned tone gradually changed into snickers before he finally broke into feats of laughter. "You should have seen your face, Kira..." He laughed. "It was so hilarious…" he added while wiping the tears brimming under his eyes.

Kira gave him a murderous look.

"What! You don't expect me to be a melodramatic guy, right? I was just having fun… There's nothing wrong with that. Besides, I already guessed that this has something to do with my fiancé-to-be, so I was just playing around..." He laughed once more.

"Have you gone nuts? That's the worst trick you've ever done. I really thought our friendship is over. It scared the shit out of me… I… I almost peed in my pants, Zala!" Kira said with a trembling voice, his knees giving away making him slumped onto the floor.

Athrun, realizing his mistake, said, "My bad… Sorry!" He then offered his hand for help.

Kira, clasping his hand with his, stood up and was immediately enveloped in a brotherly hug from his best friend, earning a pair of wide amethyst eyes in the process.

**…**

When they broke the contact, Kira right away dusted his pants.

"Let's stop these nonsensical torments towards each other once and for all."

Kira looked up to listen at his friend's proposition.

"I know you've already suffered a great deal of pain because of me and therefore I am not worthy of being called as your best friend, especially since most of your horrible experiences were caused by me. I don't want to inflict any more damage than what I have already caused you. So let's call it quits… Deal?"

Kira smiled then said, "I think that would be awesome. Deal!"

Then all hell breaks loose!

The brunette began jumping in the air while saying out loud, "Woohoo! Good bye frequent hospital visits! Goodbye creepy nurses! Goodbye creepy patients! And goodbye Ms. A! I won't be missing you all! I'm free! Free at last!" He laughed maniacally.

Athrun, quite creep out, said with an uncertain tone, "Congratulations then… I should get going now… See you later, Kira!"

Kira nodded his head in response, and then continued his celebratory dance.

Both are unaware that two pairs of prying eyes are observing their every move…

* * *

In another part of the mansion…

Two young maids are chitchatting about the scene they've witnessed awhile ago...

"_Tsktsk!_ It's such a waste! They are both good-looking."

"I agree! But I still can't believe that Athrun-sama is homosexual..." a melancholic voice said.

"But you have seen them with your own eyes, right? Or are you just plain stupid? Haven't you seen how happy Kira-kun is, after receiving a hug from Athrun-sama!"

"Hey, you're mean! I'm not stupid. I'm still shock you know…" She sniffed.

"No wonder, our master and mistress were insisting so much on getting their son to be married as soon as possible."

"Yeah… If I were them, I would probably do the same thing…" She sighed.

Just then the head maid passed by giving them a _back-to-work-no-talking_ looks, the two bowed their heads in shame.

* * *

Athrun went over to the lounge area. Seeing that his parents weren't there aside from Kisaka, he asked him where his parents are. Upon knowing where they are, he then dashed onto the gate where his parents' Volvo is waiting for him. Once he had already taken his seat and secured his seatbelt, the driver sped up the car.

He is currently sitting at the passenger seat. Beside him is his mother, Lenore. His father, Patrick, is sitting beside his Mom.

"What took you so long, son?" Lenore asked her face turned to look at him.

"Sorry Mom, Dad. I just had some problems with my attire," Athrun said, laughing uncomfortably.

Patrick intervened. "Looking good, son! Lookin' good, just like Father…" he said proudly with both of his two thumbs pointing at himself, a smirk plastered on his face.

Athrun laughed timidly. "Right…"

"Patrick…! Don't embarrass your son," Lenore said reprimanding her husband.

"I was just complimenting him… And besides, he really looked good, just like me…" Patrick retort back.

"_Argh!_ Just… Just keep your mouth shut, okay!"

Patrick diverted his face onto the window to stare outside, looking like a sulking child who didn't get what he wanted. _"I was just doing my part as his father, what's wrong with that?" _is the repeating statement that he had been muttering under his breath.

Upon seeing this side of him, Lenore and Athrun can't help but to snicker silently to themselves.

"So… Son, how was your sleep?"

Athrun answered with a yawn followed by a small "Sorry, Mom." He then grinned sheepishly.

She chuckled and said, "I take it, you haven't gotten a good night sleep yet. Awww… Poor son of mine, are you sure you're alright? You're not sick, right…?"

He turned his head to his mother, and then smiled. "You worry too much, Mom... Don't worry, I'm not sick…" He then turned his head to look outside the window, and continued, "Just thinking about certain things…"

Lenore smiled. "Hmmm… And does that certain thing includes… a _blonde head with golden-amber eyes_…?" she said meaningfully.

Athrun hastily turned his head back to his mother, red spots flared on his cheeks. "How'd… How'd you know? Don't tell me… Kira!" he said, an evil aura surrounding his body.

"Athrun…" Lenore gave him a disapproving look.

"Sorry, Mom…"

"So… It is true then…"

Patrick butted in, "I'm proud of you, son! Finally, you're becoming a man…"

Athrun's cheeks flared further. "Father…!"

Lenore gave her husband a baffled look and said, "You've been listening all along…?"

"Well, it concerns my son… So it concerns me as well." Patrick answered.

Athrun turned his head away with a shy smile while, Lenore smiled at her husband and let go of the subject.

They were quiet for some time before Patrick broke the silence…

"Hey, son, don't you want to know where we'll be going?"

"Not really, Dad…" He said with a bored look on his face, though a visible red can still be seen lingering on his face.

"Oh come on…! Could you at least feign some enthusiasm?"

"Your Father is right, Athrun. You'll be meeting your fiancé so you should look happy instead of displaying that bored look on your visage," Lenore said while wrapping her arms onto her husband. "At least give us some smile…" she continued.

Athrun offered a small smile.

"That's better," The couple said, nodding their heads in approval.

Out of the blue…

"Mom, Dad…" Athrun started, his voice unusually sounding unsure.

The couple looked over their son and listened to him.

"I was just wondering…"

"Well…"

"What if… This woman you want me to be married with… isn't my kind of lady…"

"Go on…"

"Would you… Would you let me back down… and search for someone else…?"

The couple regarded him for a moment.

Athrun made an uneasy laugh. "I mean, I was just curious… And they say marriage wouldn't work… if there's no love… So I think that's reasonable enough to let me have my choice, right…?"

"His definitely growing up…" Lenore whispered to her husband, her eyes brimmed with tears of happiness.

Patrick gave her an assured look. "Yeah… He is," he whispered back, his eyes full of life seeing this once impassive boy turned into this mature-thinking lad.

"Of course, son, whatever makes you happy, we'll support you through…" Lenore said.

"And we wouldn't want to hinder you from finding true love," Patrick added up, turning his head to look at his beloved wife.

"Thanks, Mom, Dad!" Athrun gave them a sincere smile.

* * *

Two long hours had passed before they finally reached their destination.

It was quite a long drive to the said place but nonetheless, it was worth it.

The musky scent coming from wet decomposing twigs and fallen leaves welcomed them in. Wide arrays of flowers are abundantly present around the area. Its petals and leaves are speckled with droplets of water, glistening as the sunlight touches it. Making it appears as if small gems are embedded on it. And a few distances away, a breathtaking white mansion can be seen, situated far from the neighborhood, within the aperture of an evergreen forest, standing in all its glory amidst the green scenery… a miniature paradise.

Once the Volvo made it in front of the manor, two men approached them. One is a brown-haired man in a butler suit and the other one is a black-haired man in a simpler suit.

"Good morning Sir, Madam. I'm Mr. Seiji Mori, the head butler of this estate. And this man beside me is Mr. Masaru Sawada. He'll be in charge of your car while I'll be escorting you inside, so please follow me."

The said manor is a model of sophistication. Ornamented with gorgeous pieces of furniture, refreshing color combinations and nicely done interior designs, it's a fabulous masterpiece, a work of art. A wide staircase is also situated at its center, right after you go through the main door, several doors lined up leading to five different rooms at each of the sides. When you go upstairs, another long line of quarters will greet you. There are overall three floors in this manor, the two upper floors has ten large rooms each.

Mr. Mori led them to the living room where a man in his forties was waiting while drinking some nice tea. A lone maid is standing beside him with a tray on hand loaded with a teapot and tea cups.

He dismissed the butler, and then approached Mr. Zala.

"It's good to see you, my friend!" Patrick hugged his friend and gave him a pat in the back.

His friend did the same. "Same here! It's been so long since I last saw you two." He motioned for them to take their seats. "Lenore still looks so lovely…" He took a glance at Lenore, who mouthed a small thank you as a way of giving regards to him before diverting his eyes back to Patrick. "And you, Patrick, still looks like a teenage boy going through puberty stage…" he laughed.

"Why does everyone make fun of me? _Argh!_ Life is so unfair!" Patrick said dramatically.

Everyone laughed at Patrick's reaction.

"You too… You haven't changed since I last saw you. I mean…WOW! It's been eighteen years… And you still look young… err… I mean, majestic…" Lenore said astounded.

"Well, I'll take that as a compliment. Thank you. And yes, eighteen long years of being away from here… Oh, would you like some rosemary tea?"

"We'd love too."

The man motioned for the maid to prepare some more tea and some nice treats as well.

**…**

A couple of minutes later the maid came back with a trolley full of different treats like cookies, cupcakes, loaves of breads and some brownies together with the rosemary tea. She gave each guest a cup of tea, placed each treats and the teapot on the mahogany table and then took her leave.

Patrick motioned for them to help themselves with the treats...

"Patrick, you're not supposed to act like the owner!" blushing madly, Lenore reprimanded in a low voice that only her husband and son can hear.

But unknown to them…

The real owner of this estate heard it loud and clear, making him snicker to himself.

**…**

"So is that young man standing beside you, my future son-in-law?" He smirked.

Patrick smirked. "Oh, yeah… This is our son, Athrun," he said while patting his son's shoulder.

Athrun nodded his head then looked at the man in front of him, regarding him with respect. "I'm Athrun Zala, son of Patrick and Lenore Zala. It's nice to meet you, Sir."

The man smiled. "You have a very well-mannered son," he said looking at the Zala couple, before diverting his attention back to the young lad, an approving smile gracing his face. "I'm Mr. Uzumi Nara Athha, a long time friend of your parents, owner of this estate and the Athha Multinational. It's nice to finally meet my daughter's future husband…" He said while offering his right hand for a handshake.

Athrun blushed, took Mr. Athha's hand and shook it. "The pressure… err… I mean, the pleasure is all mine."

The adults in the room exchanged looks and then broke into laughter. Athrun wanted to smack his head onto a solid brick wall to end his life right there and then.

"What a funny lad! I like you! I'm sure you and my daughter will get along just fine. But you don't need to feel pressured, you know…" Uzumi uttered in between laughs.

After having some good laugh, Patrick said with a hint of pride, "I'm glad you inherit some funny bone in you, son! Oh… and speaking of your daughter, where is she?"

"Yes, that cute little girl… How is she? We missed her so much," Lenore added.

"She's just upstairs… I already called for her so she'll be here in no time. How is she? Well… She's been doing well, made new friends and quite grew at ease there. How about you? Did anything change while we're away…?" Uzumi replied.

"It was quite boring actually. Aside from the family business, we haven't done anything worthwhile at all. Currently, we've been busy with the Zala Corp., preparing the needed documents since we're planning to let our son handle it soon," Patrick said.

"I see… I'm sure your son can handle it. He looks like a very capable, intelligent young lad. Definitely, your business is in good hands."

Athrun turned red from the compliment given by a respected persona.

"Well how' bout you, Uzumi? How was life back in–"

_*knock knock*_

"Come in…" Uzumi said.

The door opened and a nice tingling voice resounded all over the living room, drawing everyone's attention towards the owner of the said voice. "Father, you called –"

She froze mid-sentence…

**…**

* * *

**...**

**Extra A/N:**

About the reason why Cagalli fell from the sky that will be answered at the right time, don't know when that is, but I'll be answering it. I hope you understand. ^^

Updating would be much, much slower since my 2nd semester in college would be starting this week. I don't have much time to write the next chapter because I'll be busy. Sorry, guys, I can't really finish a chapter in one sitting.

I had finally chosen what genre it will be but it will remain as a secret for now. Pardon me in advance if my chosen genre doesn't suit your tastes _*bows her head*_. Nonetheless, I hope you support me throughout. See you in chapter 4!

**…**

**...**

**Reviewer Corner:**

This chapter is specially made for my readers and reviewers. I hope it brings some enlightenment on how this fic will turn out. Thank you!

I have already sent my replies to the following reviewers: **SaKuRaYukIe**,** The_Blue_Mask-cara**,** empatheticsympatheticpathetic**, **Cagalli_Haruka_Zala and stubbornheroine. **Thank you so much for leaving heartfelt reviews, I really love reading them.

**To spuxz: **Ooooh I'm so glad I made you laugh! Thank goodness, I thought I suck at making funny comebacks. But I guess I did quite well…? That incident between Kira & Athrun was just a tease since I don't intend to make them homosexuals. _*LOL*_ Was Kira nursed by a ghost? Yes, and actually it's my tribute to Halloween. It wasn't really scary, but I hope I gave you the chills… Kidding! I'll try my best to update. Thank you! ^^

**...**

_Mahal ko kayo!_

**- chiko-chan -**


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